The Perfect Gluten Free Vegan Pancakes

In a shocking turn of events, I just discovered that gluten free pancakes are actually EASIER to make than wheat-based pancakes!

Last year I posted the Perfect Vegan Pancake recipe which has helped innumerable people deliver fresh, fluffy, plant-based pancakes to breakfast tables worldwide. Yet, some people have gluten allergies, some just avoid wheat because it’s the cool thing to do (not naming any names…), but I get a lot of questions asking about how to make that recipe gluten free. Thus, I have been working hard to put a GF version together that meets all the same criteria as the original (easy, fluffy, delicious, and foolproof), only minus the wheat.

It turns out, this is an incredibly easy thing to do. You see, I spent a ton of time in that previous pancake article talking about the finicky nature of gluten, how it becomes rubbery and mushy if you even look at it wrong. But the surprising thing about gluten free pancakes is that they don’t have any gluten! This means you can overmix and adjust ingredients to your heart’s content and it will never turn rubbery. In the pursuit of fluffy pancakes, this is a huge advantage.

To achieve this magic, we’re using Bob’s Red Mill gluten free baking flour, which is a pre-mixed blend of garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, sorghum flour, and fava bean flour. This mix is easy to find and works great in this recipe. The combo of flours give these pancakes a wonderfully light and fluffy and slightly sweet taste. Call me crazy, but these might be even better than the wheat-based variety.

Makes about 6 pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup flour Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour

>1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

2/3 cup non-dairy milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Make a Flax Egg

Rather than using banana or xanthan gum or eggs to hold these pancakes together (binding is a huge issue in Gluten Free baking), we’re using a ‘flax egg’ which is 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 2.5 tablespoons of water. Whisk these together in a bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.

Prepare the Batter

Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in a large mixing bowl and toss together with a whisk or fork.

In a separate bowl, add the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar to create vegan “buttermilk.” Then add one tablespoon melted coconut oil, vanilla, and finally the ‘flax egg.’ Stir vigorously to integrate these ingredients.

Finally, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir together. If we were using gluten-based flour, this is where I would tell you to be careful of over-mixing, which would result in rubbery pancakes. But since there is no gluten, whisk thoroughly until no lumps remain.

Cook the Pancakes

Just like the original pancake recipe, it’s essential that the skillet be very hot to ensure maximum fluffiness. You’ll want to warm a drop of oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Then, use a paper towel to spread evenly and wipe away the excess.

Test one pancake first. Use a 1/4 cup measurement to create the perfect 4-inch pancake and drop it into the skillet (if you don’t hear a distinct sizzle, the oil isn’t hot enough). Wait approximately 90 seconds for large bubbles to form, then flip and cook for another 60 seconds. If the batter was too thick or thin on this test pancake, feel free to add another 1-2 tablespoons of flour or non-dairy milk, accordingly. Then, continue cooking in 1/4 cup measures until all the batter is used.

First let me say I didn’t have flax to make a flax egg so I used a gelatin egg. The first time I made them I didn’t get the “egg” mixed in enough. The second time I made them I used my electric mixer for a minute and that made all the difference.

I can’t have gluten, dairy or eggs and I have easily tried about ten different pancake recipes. This recipe makes pancakes that actually taste like real pancakes and is delicious!

Yay! As a Celiac, I love this recipe! Thank you :0)! Of course, the ultimate version of this recipe would have mini dark chocolate chips and a touch of spices mixed right into the batter & be topped with fruit, walnuts & unsweetened coconut whipped cream (I like to let the coconut creaminess just speak for itself) – yum!

*just want to specify that I meant that would ultimate to me but not actually better than how someone else would stylize those yummy pancakes! &by fruit, I was thinking a combo of fresh berries :0). I hope other viewers will say how they would most love to stylize your pancakes! Andrew, what is your favorite way to flavor/top pancakes?

Thanks, Abbi! No, I totally got what you were saying. I just make the plain version so that readers can copy the basic recipe and then add their favorite mix-ins or toppings.

For me? I love making pancakes with cocoa powder and/or chocolate chips… maybe topped with some peanut butter and a hint of maple syrup (my chocolate peanut butter addiction has been well documented on this blog, haha).

I am so intrigued by your website. It just may be an answer to prayer. I was looking over your gluten free pancake recipe and I had a question. How would the ingredients in the gluten free flour blend affect someone who might be diabetic. Also, will the various beans in the flour give a “bean ” like flavor to what you’re making ? That was my experience using soy flour, once. Thanks , KEVIN

Hey Kevin! Thanks so much. I really don’t feel qualified to say how the flour might affect diabetes or blood sugar, though it’s likely better than regular white flour. In terms of the taste, I was worried about the same thing and no – the flour is actually quite mild and sweet. I really liked it!

Although I am not a licensed dietitian, I have been diabetic for many years. Recently, I have over hauled my entire lifestyle with food.
There is basically a major rule to follow: What is the TOTAL carb count? Carbs are a funny thing. For me, since I am insulin resistant, I do not do well with corn (including anything corn), potatoes, and carrots. I can eat rice all day long and it will not affect my sugar very much.
Remember, the best advice is from your doctor and your dietitian. Good luck!

Hi Andrew,
I was very excited by your pancake receipe, because on the one hand, I never tasted real pancakes, and on the other hand, your receipe is gluten and dairy free 🙂
So, just after receiving my cup and spoon set (definitely necessary), I made it : I love the texture, it’s like a soft bread.
Do you think coconut oil could be substituted by hazelnut ou almond puree?
Thank you!

Hi Claire! I’m so happy you enjoyed them! 🙂 Hmm, I think the addition of nuts would be really nice in these pancakes, but I would be concerned about pureeing them – they might not cook evenly with the rest of the batter and create a more gooey & rubbery texture… but I haven’t tried that myself so don’t take my word for it!

Just found your site and have already saved it as a FAVORITE!! OMG… these pancakes are amazing. I made one sub… I couldn’t get my jar of coconut oil to open so I used one heaping tablespoon of applesauce and added a sprinkle of cinnamon… mmmmmmm!! Will definitely make again and again and again… THANK YOU!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! What an excellent pancake recipe! Yummy! For me, I used coconut milk and a small amount of almond milk to thin out the pancakes. Just my preference. However, what an excellent taste!
I’ve recently went gluten-free. Also, as a nanny, I cook meals for a child with celiac disease. So, basically, I eat the same way she eats! Some things I try have NO flavor what so ever. However, this is a great diabetic friendly, celiac friendly and gluten-free friendly pancake! I wish I could give you a hug.

Help! I made these last night and they were undercooked. Very moist in the middle. I cooked longer , but no matter how long they did not cook! I did several adjustments each time with the heat, with the batter . Anybody has an explanation? This is very frustrating because I had to toss them and I hate to waste food.

I’m so sorry to hear that Miri. It’s interesting you say this because moist/gummy middles are typically a problem with the *gluten* being overdeveloped. I can’t imagine why that would happen with GF pancakes unless the batter was too thin or thick, perhaps. You want the batter to be a consistency that spreads just a little when it hits the pan and you want the heat to be up fairly high. I usually test one pancake first and if it doesn’t come out right I’ll adjust the thickness of the batter and/or the heat. Again, so sorry and I hope you have better luck in the future!

So happy I found your site! I was actually skimming to comments to find more info on this issue. I’m on my third GF Vegan Pancake recipe (yours) and yours is by far the closest I’ve gotten so far, however I’m still having some issues with the “gumminess” on the inside (as opposed to drier fluffiness). I’m wondering, how do you measure your flour? I was taught the “dip and scoop” method, to avoid it packing down in the cup, but I did have to add a few extra tablespoons at the end as the batter seemed a little thin.

I also tested my baking powder which did fizz a little in water, as I thought that might be the issue. Would greatly appreciate any thoughts or insight you might have. Thank you!

Ah, it’s so hard to say. There’s too many variables. And GF baking is definitely not an area where I’m extremely knowledgable. As far as measuring, I also don’t pack the flour down so that’s probably not a problem…. the only thing I can think to suggest is checking the heat of your pan. If the pancakes don’t sizzle when they first hit, the pan isn’t hot enough and that can sometimes result in gummy centers.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply to my question, Andrew. I will try the recipe one more time. I got my pan pretty hot (it’s a calphalon nonstick) – any hotter and they were starting to burn before getting cooked. I have a feeling my batter may have just had a smidge too much almond milk/liquid in it…..I’ll post back my results! Still the best of all the GF + vegan recipes I’ve tried so far! 🙂

I’ve been cooking gluten-free and vegan for a few years now and I’ve been in search for the perfect pancake recipe – and I think this is it! These pancakes were delicious and came out at just the right consistency, not gummy but still moist and slightly stretchy as if they contained gluten. I also appreciate your thorough instructions. I’m definitely adding this to my list of favorite recipes!

Hi Andrew, I was wondering if you could explain the difference between pancake batter and waffle batter. Could this GF recipe be adapted to make waffles? I made GF waffles this morning for my daughter but we both agreed they weren’t light enough. Tasty for sure, but we’re thinking the 1/4 of oil – and olive oil at that – was what made them seem like hockey pucks.

Thanks Andrew, so you know I’m not trying to troll your blog I’ll try to take the advice there and adapt them to good GF waffles. I’m an engineer, not a chef so I won’t make any promises 🙂

I see you edited my attempt at a hyperlink. For those who are interested and may want to fix the recipe that didn’t work the site was minimalistbaker.com and search for 7 ingredient waffles. Like I said it tasted good, if not too oily, but needed some TLC to make it perfect. Maybe some other reader of this blog can improve on it.

As always, LOVED these! Before going vegan, or gluten-free for that matter, I had never made pancakes (okay, I really had never cooked), but in two years vegan I’ve been afraid of pancakes… I remember always hating them growing up… I’m a waffle kind of girl. Well, you may have just changed that! These were simple and delicious. Another vegan toddler approved recipe! I have never had anything from your site that wasn’t just awesome. Thanks for thinking of us gluten free people when you developed these delicious pancakes! I had to sub out a few things, but it all worked well. Will definitely try adding some fun mix-ins once I conquer these ha!

I never had success with flaxseed egg replacement. The middle of the pancakes came out all sticky and gooey. It did not change no matter how long you cooked them. You could barely even burn them. However, I was wondering if maybe that was a sign that the ground flaxseed was too old or maybe egg replacement in an pre-made gluten-free mix is a no-no. No idea. Any advice?

Interesting, usually gummy centers are a problem with the gluten being overdeveloped (definitely not the case here!). The other two causes could be: 1) the cooking *temperature*. If you don’t hear a distinct sizzle when the first pancake hits the pan, the heat is too low, they won’t rise, and the centers will be gummy no matter how long they cook for. 2) The proportions. If something went haywire and the batter is too wet/dry, this could also cause problems. Hope that helps!

I’m over the moon having found this recipe, thank you thank you thank you – I only discovered it last month, but I’ve been making pancakes using this recipe at least two times a week!! My hubby loves them (even though he’s not vegan and doesn’t need to eat GF) and he’s really excited each time we’re having pancakes for breakfast 🙂 The recipe is sooooo easy to make that I often make them before I go to work and enjoy them for breakfast 🙂 God bless you and keep sharing wonderful recipes like this one 🙂

This is the BEST Vegan Gluten Free Pancakes I’ve EVER had. . .and they don’t taste like gluten free AND there is NO SUGAR?! YES! SO much yes!

The second time (and from now on) I decided to make them differently.
MODIFACTIONS: I did half almond flour (for protein) and half gluten free flour (Red’s) and then I added 3 tablespoons of Hemp Seeds (for protein) & 1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds – These modifications still let the pancakes be fluffy and taste amazing! When they’re done, I will LIGHTLY drizzle honey between pancakes. YUM!

The first time Istuck to the recipe completely Idid add a banana, chocolate chips and coconut flakes…but I would wait to put these ingredients until after I poured the batter into the pan. This way, each pancake was uniquely flavored with whatever I decided to put in it. 😀

I had some Bob’s gluten free flour to use up, so I found this recipe and gave it a try. My 8 year old is very picky about her pancakes. They have to be nice and fluffy, not dense or gummy at all. She claimed that these were the best pancakes she ever tasted! So definitely a win around here! I don’t usually keep this flour on hand, but I will definitely be using the rest of it to make these pancakes! Usually I use a combo of whole wheat pastry flour and chickpea flour, which she really likes, but it was nice not having to worry about over stirring this gluten free batter!

These have a wonderful texture! We use a real egg instead of flax egg here and also added a bit of agave nectar to the batter. They are the new go to weekend pancake recipe for the past month! Thanks so much – the ratios are perfect! We’ve had them with s few different spice/fruit combos at this point – and have toasted left overs the next day with almond butter and a bit of apricot jam from our farmers market – heavenly!

Wow! I had to comment just because of how good these turned out. I’ve tried over half a dozen different GF pancake recipes over the years, and they all have turned out pretty bad – usually a tough, gritty texture that’s goopy in the middle. Not so with this recipe! They were fluffy, perfect pancakes – just like the real deal.

A couple notes:
Judging from other comments, it seems like the flour mix you use has an impact on the consistency of the batter. I used the Trader Joe’s GF flour mix. I didn’t add the liquid all at once, and noticed the batter was starting to get a bit runny, so I didn’t end up using all of the “buttermilk”/flax egg/oil mixture. Had maybe a tablespoon or two left over. So if you use the Trader Joe’s flour mix, I’d keep an eye on that as you incorporate the wet into dry – you want it thin enough to pour easily and spread out on its own, but still have some viscosity. Also, I added a few pinches of coconut sugar to the mix.

Made these this morning! I was a little concerned when I messed up a few times, mainly the coconut oil froze up in the cold coconut milk, and then I ended up having to add some coconut milk to the batter at the end because it was too thick… BUT I added cinnamon and nutmeg right into the batter and I can honestly say these are the best pancakes I’ve ever had. So happy!!

Hey Jason,
I tried your recipe, however, I am allergic to corn and rice as well as wheat and eggs. So I used coconut flour and wouldn’t use baking power (because it us corn starch) and the batter was still very dry/thick.
Any suggestions?

Hi Andrew. I was skeptical about the claim(s) of how utterly delish are the pancakes. But, I was TRULY pleasantly surprised. I didn’t have the Bob’s Red Mill Glutenfree Baking Flour. Although, I typically use all BRM products I had simply run out of the baking flour. I had Aldi GF baking flour and Pillsbury GF all-purpose 1:1 flour. So, I combined the two(evenly=1c.)and when combining the liquids I added 1.5tbspn of agave nectar. I followed the remainder of your recipe exactly. And, OMGGGGG – they were better than regular gluten, dairy pancakes! And, the true litmus (test)was my meat-eating man….he LOVED them! They were wonderfully light & crispy outside; and delicately moist yet fluffy inside. The flax egg totally disappeared into the batter so we never tasted it.
This is now my go-to pancake recipe! Can’t imagine pancakes any other way from now on. Thanks so much!

HI! Thanks so much for this recipe, one of my kiddos was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism and multiple food allergies, so I was very happy to be find this since she’s a huge carb/dairy lover and can’t have them now – and I have ZERO experience with gf/allergy friendly cooking!

A couple questions: although they tasted fine/cooked through, my pancakes weren’t as “fluffy” or brown as the ones pictured, do you think it’s because I had to sub out the baking powder (daughter can’t have corn, and it contains cornstarch)? Or maybe the griddle? (I used cast iron).
Tasted good with vegan butter, no other allergy friendly toppings in my pantry yet, but I’m working on it… Thanks again!

Hi Erin, well not using baking powder would definitely be an issue in terms of the fluffiness. And if they weren’t brown, they might not have been at a high enough temperature (which could also contribute to them being too flat). If the batter doesn’t make a pretty intense sizzle when it hits the pan, it’s not hot enough. Hope that helps!

Yeah… when people bring up almond flour for baking I remind them that it’s more like sand than real flour, haha. It’s just tiny chunks of almonds and it won’t easily absorb water or form into any kind of batter 🙁

The saddest pancakes I’ve ever made. I used a gluten free flour blend and followed the recipe accordingly. I had to add more milk otherwise it wouldn’t be moist enough. It ended up being a mushy gummy mess. I don’t know what happened 🙁